[Assesmment urethrorrhagia in childhood]

[corrected] To review urethrorrhagia cases, the need of complementary test, its management and natural history.

A retrospective analysis was carried out for the 12 patients who suffered from urethrorrhagia, consecutively diagnosed in our department. Parameters as age, and micturitional habit were evaluated. In this way, we described the diagnostic techniques used, assessment and the follow-up of each patient.

All cases correspond to male children with an average age of 8.7 years (range: 18 months-14 years). Urethrorrhagia appears in 100% of the patients, episodes which were daily in 58.4%. 33% (4/12) of them also present other micturitional symptoms. 75% (9/12) had a lazy micturitional habit. Among the urological backgrounds we found: 1 patient was circumcised 3 years ago, a meatotomy was done in other due to meatus stenosis 2 years before, and a last one had an electrocoagulation of a urethral polyp just 1 month before. 83.4% (10/12) of urine cultures were negative. An urethrocystoscope was done in 9 patients finding a verum hypertrophy in 4, inflammatory changes next to membranous urethra in 3, scar at the bulbar urethra in 1 and in a last one no abnormalities were found. Out of 8 patients with lazy micturitional habit, 75% (6/8) resolve spontaneously once they correct their habits after a mean follow-up of 9 months. Only 2 patients needed surgery (TUR). In the other 2 patient, symptoms.

Urethrorrhagia in childhood is a benign condition in most cases, which is almost always cured spontaneously during the first 2 years of follow-up. Radiological studies as well as endoscopic procedures are unnecessary in the early management of these patients thus being relegated to recurrent or persistent bleeding.